Registering apparatus



June 25, 1929. G; F. ROOKE REGISTERING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1926 4 2 Sheets-Sheet- June 25, 1929. G. F. ROOKE REGISTERING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. ROOKE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. ASSIGNOR TO ROOKE AUTOMATIC REGISTER COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. CORPORATION OF MAINE.

REGISTERING APPARATUS.

Application filed January 28, 1926.

The present invention relates to machines or appliances for registering and counting coins. tickets and other articles or devices which are taken by a collector, and for which an accounting is retpiircd. It is applicable, among other things, to the uses of the fare collectors of street railway companies, or other-common carriers. andthe embodiment, of the invention which I shall describe in this specificationhasbecndesignedwith cxarticula r reference to that us i and in a form adapting it to be held in the collectorshand and presented by him to the passenger for insertion by the latter of a coin or ticket into a coin receiving passage of the machine. This is only an illustrative description. however. and the principlcs ot the invention may be embodied in machines of specifically ditt'ercnt character and mode of use. applied to the use above mcnt ioned or to other analogous uses.

Vhilc .l have spoken of coins or tickets as the articles to be received and accounted tor. l have not intended thereby to limit the scope of the invention with respect to the articles which the machine may be adapted to receive and count. Machines embodying this invention may be designed with capacity for receiving articles of a great variety of shapes and dimensions. Hence. references herein to coins as the inserted articles are to be coustrued as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The objects ot the invention are to prevent insertion of a second article into the machine while the counting mechanism is in course of registering a previously inserted article. and of being reset; and to prevent resetting of the register controlling mechanism in case an article should become caught in the entrance to the reception passage. The novel. features and characteristics of which the invention consists will now be explained in connection with the, particular embodiment hercinbetorc re t'erred to.

tn the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the essential machine. the enclosing and protective casing by which the machine is surrounded when in use being removed in order to show the operating parts;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same essential machine;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same on an onlargcd scale:

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the upper part Serial No. 84,412.

of the machine showing the traveling member ot' the m. chine. the lock for the same. and the releasable stop for such lock. in their re ceptive or set position;

Fig. 5 is a .)crspcctive view of the lock mentioned in connection with Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a block which provides an abutment for said lock and a sup 'iort for other parts;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the stop previously referred to;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing. disassembled from one another. the parts of the stop setting and traveler obstructing device;

Figs. 9 and 10 are views of the same character as Fig. 4-. showing the movable parts of the machine in ditl'erent positions;

Fig. 11 is a side view of the machine as seen from the left oti Fig. 4. the movable parts being in their set position.

Like reference cl'iaracters designate the saline parts wherever they occur in all the figures.

The frame ot the machine may be of any suitable character having an open passage or chamber for the roceptitm of the articles to be registered. In this case it is composed of trout and back plates 1 and Q. and side bars I) and 4. (shown dottcd in these tigures) between the edge portions of said plates. In this machine the plates and bars bound a continuous open passage. in the upper end of which a coin may be inserted. and from the lower end of which the coin may drop into the hand of the collector holding the machine. or into any other suitable depository which may be provided. 'lhere is also applied to the trout side of the frame an outer plate 5 which is spaced apart from the trame by a bar 6 at the bottom. and a block 7. An outer back plate 8 is applied to the rear side ot' the frame and spaced apart therefrom by cross bars 9 and 10.

Supported by the outer back plate 8 is a register 11, which in this instance is one of well known character obtainable in the open market. It is provided with a gear 12. whercby it is actuated. and this gear in turn is driven by a pinion 13 connected to a larger gear 14. and the latter is driven by a gear wheel mounted on the outer front plate 5. (on which plate the pivot stud tor the connected gears 13 and 14 is also mounted). The gear 15 is driven. under the control of the operator. by a rod 16 having rack teeth lttt] 17 in mesh with a pinion 18, from which motion is transmitted to the gear through a ratchet and pawl mechanism, which is not shown herein, as it involves nothing novel with the present invention and is disclosed in prior patents.

The above described counting mechanism is controlled so as to be operated only when a coin is placed in the machine, by the following mechanism. A traveler 19 is arranged to slide lengthwise on the frame, and such traveler in the present embodiment consists of a plate lying adjacent to the front plate of the frame and having its edge portions 20 and 21 bent over to embrace the frame and connected to straps 22 and 23, which extend across the rear side of the frame. This traveler is connected to the gear 15 by a pitman or connecting rod 24, said pitman ha *ing a crank connection at 25 with a gear 15. and a wrist connection at 26 with the traveler.

The lower rear strap 23 of the traveler carries a pin 27, to which is attached a tape 28 passing around and secured to a drum or ban rel 29 pivoted at 30 to the rear plate 8 and containing a coil spring analogous to the main spring of a watch. Such spring tends to move the traveler down ard and hold it in its lowered position. (shown in 10), from which it may be raised by the rod 16 acting through the wheel 15 and pitman 24. Each complete rotation of the wheel 15, which accompanies such downward and upward movement of the traveler, effects an actuation of the counter. Such downward movements are controlled by the insertion of a coin.

The traveler is held in its raised position, which is the position I have referred to hereinbefore as the set or receptive position. by a lock which is pivoted on the same axis as the wrist connection Q6, such axis being provided by a stud 31 on the traveler. while the pitman wrist connection is provided by a screw 26 passing through the pitman and threaded into said stud. The lock is made of a plate 32 having :1 lug or shoulder 3i directed toward the rear and adapted to rest on the upper end of an abutment 34 which projects from the front face of a block 35 secured to the frame. A spring wire is coiled around the stud 31. and one end 36 of this spring bears against a pin 37 set in the lock member 32, while the other end 38 of the spring reacts against a pin 39 set into the traveler. The. tendency of the spring is to disengage the lug from the abutment 34. by swinging the lug to the left away from the top of the abutment. But when the traveler is in raised or set position, such disengagement of the lock is prevented by a stop member 40. which lies in the way of a projection 41 on the lock member. Said stop is provided with a pivot pin 42, which has its bearing in a hole 43 in the block 35. Connected to the stop 40 is a trigger or trip arm 44 which extends across the entrance to the coin passage when the stop 40 is in its lock-obstructed position. Depression of the trigger by a coin inserted in the slot swings the stop 40 out of the way of the projection 41, the latter being beveled on its forward face to enable it to clear the stop readily.

The stop is placed in its obstructing position by a lever 45. operated to that end by a spring arm 46, which in turn is actuated by the pitman 24 as the traveler approaches its set position. The lever is pivoted on an internally threaded pin 47 which is screwed to a threaded stud 48 projecting from the. upper part of block 35. Spring arm 46 is formed by the end portion of a spring wire having a coiled central part 49 which surrounds the pin 47. and its other end 50 is bent over and passed through a hole 51 in the lever 45. so as to lie beside the block 35 and serve as means to limit the movement of the lever 45 in one direction, (the direction of lefthand rotation with respect to Figs. 1, 4, 9 and 10).

As the traveler rises toward its set position, a cam surface 52 on the side of the pitman es the bent up extremity of the arm 46, ng the latter to the left and causing a short arm 53 on the lever 45 to move downward and apply pressure to a projection 54 on the stop piece, thereby placing the stop 40 in the path of projection 41 and placing the trigger 44 across the coin passage. After arriving in the set position, and when the crank pin 25 has been turned beyond its upper dead point. a depression 55 in the side of the pitman lies beside the end of arm 46, leaving the latter free to be moved under the pressure applied to the lever arm when the trigger 44 is displaced by an inserted coin.

If the coin should fail to pass by the trigger 44. and remain in the slot back of the trigger. it would permanently hold the stop 40 out of the way of the latch projection, preventing the traveler from being locked in set position and causing it to travel down again whenever raised by the action of the collector, and thus causing values to be added by the register when no coins have been inserted. To prevent this result from occurring, I have made the lever 45 with an arm 56 so located as to lie directly in the path of a stop pin 57 mounted in the pitman and projecting from its rear side. In the normal operation, the arm 46 swings the arm 56 out of the way of the abutment pin 57 and allows the pitman to go up to the fully set position; but when the trigger is held displaced by a coin caught in the passage, the members 54 and 53 hold the stop arm 56 rigidly in the way of abutment 57, the arm 46 when pressed on by the cam surface 52 then springing aside yieldingly, and the pitman is positively arrested before the traveler has been brought fully into the set position and before the crank pin 25 haspassed the upper dead point. Return movement of the pitman and traveler is prevented by a pawl 158 coacting with ratchet teeth on the wheel 15.

In the upward movement of the traveler, the lock shown at 33 is moved to the right, (with respect to Figs. 1, 4, 6, 9 and 10), far enough to clear the lower end of the abutment 34 by the swinging movement of the pitman which acts on the pin 37 of the lock member, such pin occupying a slot 258 in the pitman.

The coin is not engaged or acted upon in any way by the traveler or by any parts carried by the traveler, but is intended to fall by gravity through the coin passage into the collectofis hand or other receptacle. 1 have provided means to insure that, notwithstanding this fact, each coin placed in or passed through the machine will be registered. The means shown in this embodiment of the invention for that purpose consists of two levers 58 and 59, pivoted to the front plate 1 of the frame at 60 and 61, respectively. Such levers are located within the coin passage, but are of such slight thickness and lie so close to the front plate of the frame as to leave plenty of room for the coin to pass them after being placed in the entrance to the passage. These levers each have two arms, making a distinct angle with one another, as shown by dotted lines in the elevation views of the drawings. The upper arms extend up to or beyond the entrance of the coin passage and carry the guard plates or lugs 62 and 63, which extend across or overlie the upper end of the passage. The lower arms of said levers carry studs 64 and 65 respectively, which project through transverse slots in the front plate of the frame and occupy cam slots 66 and 67 in the traveler. These cam slots are so located and inclined, substantially as shown in the drawings, that when the traveler is in its raised or set position, the guard plates 62 and (33 are spread apart widely enough to admit coins of the dimension which the machine is designed to receive; and as soon as the traveler commences its downward movement, the guard plates are moved toward one another for enough to prevent entrance of such coins in the passage; and the cam slots retain the guard plates in such position of nearer approach to one another until the traveler is so near its reset position, in returning thereto, that a coin cannot be inserted without causing operation of the counter.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that coins cannot be placed in the machine, owing to the guards 62 and 6. unless the traveler is in what has been called its set position. This is the position shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. lVhen the coin is inserted in the slot, it releases the traveler, and upon the first movement of the latter under the pull of its impelling spring, the guard plates are drawn together, through the position shown in Fig. 9 to that of Fig. 10. The downward movement of the tra velcr causes a semi-rotation of the wheel 15;'and a further semi-rotation is given to this wheel in rcsetting the traveler, thus operating the counter. Between release of the traveler and resetting thereof, no other coin of the dimens-dous for which the machine is adapted can be inserted.

lt is to be understood that the machine thus described is provided with an enclosing casing, which may be locked to prevent its unauthorized removal and tampering with the machine; and that the casing has a slot in line with the entrance of the coin passage and near enough to the trigger to enable a coin pushed into the slot to displace such trigger. As designed for portable fare rcgisters, the casing has an outlet permitting discharge of the coin into the collectors hand.

It will be apparent that many other forms of machines and mechanisms to accomplish the objects herein set forth, in a substantially equivalent way, may be constructed within the spirit of this invention and within the protection of the appended claims. It will also be apparent that the principles of the invention can be readily applied to stationar 1 machines of any dimensions; and that also machines embodying the same principles may be made within the same protection to receive and count articles of other forms, shapes and sizes than tlat coins or tickets. Obviously, articles of spherical or other shapes, regular or irregular, may be counted provided only the passage or entrance opening provided for their reception, has a corresponding shape. The guards, or a single guard, corresponding to this invention, but permissably otherwise formed or arranged. and locks and triggers of other specific constructions, may be applied to all forms of machines containing the principles of this invention.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A register comprising a frame having an entrance for articles to be counted, a traveler movable back and forth between a set position and a second position, counter operating mechanism associated and movable simultaneously with said traveler, automatic means tending to move the traveler from its set position to said second position, operator controlled means for returning the traveler to its set position, means for locking the traveler in its set position, a trip operable by an inserted article for releasing said locking means, a guard adapted to obstruct said entrance, and means controlled by the traveler for placing said guard where it leaves the entrance clear when the traveler is in its set position. and for placing said guard in obstructing l tit) lit] Full

location when the traveler is otherwise positioned.

2. a register having an entrance opening for articles to be counted, a guard adapted to obstruct or leave clear said opening according to its position, a counter, a traveler movable back and forth between two extreme positions and connected to control the operations of said counter, said traveler being coupled to the said guard, and operable to place the same in its clear position when the tra eler is at one extreme of its movement, and to place and hold the guard in an obstructing position when the traveler is otl1erwise located.

3. in a register, a frame having a passage for articles to be counted, a traveler movable back and forth on said frame, a guard mounted on said frame and movable so as to obstruct or leave unobstructed the entrance for such articles to the passage, and connections between said traveler and guard for shifting the latter in unison with movcnu-nts of the traveler.

4. In a register, a frame having a coin passage, a guard mounted movably with respect to said passage so as to obstruct the same or leave it cl air for entrance of a coin, and a traveler movable back and forth on the frame, said traveler and guard having complemental cam and cam follmver elements arranged and operable to shift the guard from one position to another simultaneously with movements of the traveler.

5. In a. register, a frame having a reception passage for articles to be counted, a traveler on said frame, a lock for holding said traveler in one position. a lock releascr hav ing a trigger adapted to be displaced by a r: icles insert ed in said reception passage, means for moving said traveler into its locked position, including a pitman having a cam surface, a lever pivoted to the frame having an arm engagcable and movable by said cam surface, said lever having a second arm engaged with said lock release and elleetive to place and hold said trigger in the path of the inserted article when the first arm is so moved; and said lever and the. pitman having com ples mental stops in position to abut against one another so as to prevent placement of the traveler in its locked position when the trigger is obstructed by an article in said passage.

6. In a register, a frame having a reception passage, a traveler movable on said frame, a lock for holding said traveler in set position, a machine element for moving said traveler into said position, said element having a cam surface, a releasable stop for said lock having a trigger portion adapted to be displaced by an article inserted into said passage, a lever pivoted on the frame having two arms, one of which is engageable with said stop for placing the latter and the trigger in lock-obstructing position when the lever is moved in one direction, a spring arm coupled with said lever arranged to be engaged by said cam surface and moved thereby to a position for placing said stop and trigger in the above named operative position, and an abutment on said machine element located to abut against the second arm of said lever when the stop and trigger are prevented from assuming their operative position. and before the travelcr has reached its locked position.

7. In a register of the character set forth, a movable lock stop and trigger member, a lever having an arm engageable with said member for placing the same in operative position when the lever is moved in one direction, said lever having a second or obstructing arm, and a spring arm associated with said lever and operable when moved in one direction for causing actuation of said stop element in the manner above set forth.

8. In a register, a frame having a passage for articles to be counted, a traveler movable back and forth on said frame, and a guard mounted on said frame and movable so as to obstruct or leave unobstructed the entrance for such articles to the passage, said traveler having a cam element engaged with said guard and forn'ied to place and hold the guard in obstructed position by movement of the traveler in one direction and to place the guard in position for leaving the passage unobstructed by movement in the opposite direction.

9. A register comprising a frame having a passage for articles to be counted, a traveler movable back and forth on said frame, a lock for holding said traveler near one extremity of its reeiprocative movement, means tending to withdraw the traveler from such locked po sition. a trip operable by insertion of such an article into said passage for releasing the lock, and a guard movable to obstruct or clear the entrance of said passage, the traveler having a cam portion engaged with said guard, constructed and arranged to hold the guard clear of such entrance when the traveler is in its locked position and to move the guard into such obstructing position when the traveler is displaced from its locked position.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

GEORGE F. ROOKE. 

